James Casebere Captures Modern America Shrouded in Doubt

James Casebere captures modern American anxiety in his most recent photo series 'Credit, Trust, Faith.' The collection was unveiled at the Lisson Gallery in London, England earlier this week. The photos feature a reconstruction of Dutchess County, New York. The scene was created using handmade models. These eerie visions of the future are at once unnerving and serene. The audience sees the quintessential scene of modern domesticity; a quite suburb complete with cookie-cutter houses and an ample amount of green space, but something is amiss. The houses sit complacently as they are threatened by flames or enveloped in a dense fog. Casebere refers to these environmental threats as signs of an oncoming "apocalypse." With this jarring juxataposition of the ideal and catastrophic, viewers are confronted with the uncertainty of modern times.

Though one may look down on the scene as if from the window of an airplane, Casebere is quick to remind that no matter how calm life may look while aloft, peace is at all times fragile. Casebere sites the American banking crisis and climate change as these quiet villains, threatening the American way of life. James Casebere wanted to create "a non-judgemental representation of the suburban landscape," now rife with a "lack of faith and trust." These photos wow with their careful craftsmanship, but subdue with their heavy subject matter. The power of Casebere's images are sure to have more than just Americans biting their nails.